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Alexis Carew #2
Mutineer
Just as Midshipman Alexis Carew thinks she’s found a place in the Royal Navy, she’s transferred aboard H.M.S. Hermione. Her captain is a tartar, liberal with the cat, who thinks girls have no place aboard ship. The other midshipmen in the berth are no better. The only advice she’s offered is to keep her head down and mouth shut – things Alexis is rarely able to do.
250 pages, ebook
First published February 14, 2015
336 people are currently reading
356 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 148 reviews
August 26, 2015
WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG TO READ THIS?
WHYYYYYYYY??
Ermegerd.
I pre-ordered this straight after reading the first book, and for some reason I let it sit in my e-reader for months and months. I have no idea why on earth it took me so long to get to this, but I am SO GLAD I put this in my Indie August Challenge. This was AWESOME.
The writing in this, it is better than the first novel, I really enjoyed the first novel Into The Dark, but this one. THIS ONE I LOVED.
Alexis. ALEXIS!
You. Are. My. Hero.
You are so strong, so resilient, so bloody amazing. No matter what the disgusting Captain Neals threw at you, you would not break. You gain the trust of the crew of your ship by being a hard worker and not letting the pieces of shit who bully you to within an inch of your sanity, ever see you crying or weak.
Captain Neals, along with just about every other Officer aboard the H.M.S Hermione, deserves to burn in the fiery pits of hell. Their actions and inactions towards Alexis and the rest of the crew are inexcusable. It has been a long time since I have hated a character so intensely. I think Captain Neals is a grown up version of Joffrey Baratheon. I want to stab him in all the places imaginable, and then do it all again.
If you have never given an indie book a shot before, I implore you, start with this series. If you read indie books all the time, I urge you to try this one. If you just want an awesome book to read, I recommend you pick up this series.
This book. I laughed. I cried. I loved. This book had it all. I love it. Give me the next one now please.
ALEXIS IS THE BEST
LOVE YOU 4EVA ALEXIS
5 I-kneel-for-my-Queen-and-no-other Stars
WHYYYYYYYY??
Ermegerd.
I pre-ordered this straight after reading the first book, and for some reason I let it sit in my e-reader for months and months. I have no idea why on earth it took me so long to get to this, but I am SO GLAD I put this in my Indie August Challenge. This was AWESOME.
The writing in this, it is better than the first novel, I really enjoyed the first novel Into The Dark, but this one. THIS ONE I LOVED.
Alexis. ALEXIS!
You. Are. My. Hero.
You are so strong, so resilient, so bloody amazing. No matter what the disgusting Captain Neals threw at you, you would not break. You gain the trust of the crew of your ship by being a hard worker and not letting the pieces of shit who bully you to within an inch of your sanity, ever see you crying or weak.
"I know your kind. Spread your legs and lure good, honest men to do your bidding - well I'll not have it about my ship, do you hear me?"
Captain Neals, along with just about every other Officer aboard the H.M.S Hermione, deserves to burn in the fiery pits of hell. Their actions and inactions towards Alexis and the rest of the crew are inexcusable. It has been a long time since I have hated a character so intensely. I think Captain Neals is a grown up version of Joffrey Baratheon. I want to stab him in all the places imaginable, and then do it all again.
"Are you sure you didn't miss orders to return to your proper place? Some kitchen perhaps? A proper husbands bed?"
If you have never given an indie book a shot before, I implore you, start with this series. If you read indie books all the time, I urge you to try this one. If you just want an awesome book to read, I recommend you pick up this series.
This book. I laughed. I cried. I loved. This book had it all. I love it. Give me the next one now please.
ALEXIS IS THE BEST
LOVE YOU 4EVA ALEXIS
5 I-kneel-for-my-Queen-and-no-other Stars
"A man may do a thing, a woman may do a thing... so long as the thing is done well, who is to be concerned that it was a man or a woman who did the thing?"
February 6, 2017
Avanture Horatia u svemiru se nastavljaju :) Likovi i dogadjaji su predvidljivi i iskreno skoro od početka znamo kako će se završiti. Ali sve je tako pitko napisano da samo teče. Prosto te vuče. I to volim kod knjiga. Ne mora svaka da bude komplikovana.
Mada se ipak nadam da će sledeća imati manje klišea.
Mada se ipak nadam da će sledeća imati manje klišea.
November 30, 2016
Quite good. I look forward to the rest of this series.
August 9, 2015
This is book two of the Alexis Carew series. When we left Alexis in book one she was being transferred (against her Captains wishes) to HMS Hermione, the ship has an unhappy crew, a cruel Captain and a war starting.
I noted that Sutherland borrowed the idea from British Naval history. The bloodiest mutiny in the Royal navy was in 1782 and it started aboard the HMS Hermione. The mutiny took place in the Home Fleet guarding England. I was happy the author’s note at the end confirmed I was correct about his borrowing the Hermione from the 1782 mutiny.
Sutherland is filling in more of Alexis’s character in this episode. The book grabbed my attention and kept it throughout. The characters are engaging and the plot is spellbinding. The book is well written with nail biting suspense. Thank goodness Sutherland completes the story as he did with book one and does not leave us with a cliff hanger, but I still cannot wait for the next book.
It just takes a bit of getting use to having space ships with sails and all the problems of water, food, etc., that were present in the 1800 ocean sailing ships. Must say it is an interesting idea.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. Elizabeth Klett does a good job narrating the book. Glad they kept the same narrator from book one. Hope she is able to do the entire series. I hate to have different narrator in a series.
I noted that Sutherland borrowed the idea from British Naval history. The bloodiest mutiny in the Royal navy was in 1782 and it started aboard the HMS Hermione. The mutiny took place in the Home Fleet guarding England. I was happy the author’s note at the end confirmed I was correct about his borrowing the Hermione from the 1782 mutiny.
Sutherland is filling in more of Alexis’s character in this episode. The book grabbed my attention and kept it throughout. The characters are engaging and the plot is spellbinding. The book is well written with nail biting suspense. Thank goodness Sutherland completes the story as he did with book one and does not leave us with a cliff hanger, but I still cannot wait for the next book.
It just takes a bit of getting use to having space ships with sails and all the problems of water, food, etc., that were present in the 1800 ocean sailing ships. Must say it is an interesting idea.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. Elizabeth Klett does a good job narrating the book. Glad they kept the same narrator from book one. Hope she is able to do the entire series. I hate to have different narrator in a series.
November 5, 2017
Alexis Carew is my favorite new series and one I intend to continue reading as long as J.A. Sutherland continues to write them. I read Mutineer as soon as I finished the first novel, Into the Dark, and it was even better than the original. I think it's because this is a much darker novel and manages to deal with a nearly insurmountable problem for our heroine that reflects a real-life problem in today's military: misogyny from a higher up in a system designed to make sure your superiors are the word of God. The fact this is based on a historical incident in the Age of Sail, minus a plucky Midshipwoman, makes the story all the better.
The premise is our heroine, still fifteen-years-old and now suffering from PTSD after executing a pirate, has been assigned to the H.M.S. Hermione. It is not a happy ship as its captain, Neils, is a flogging happy tyrant who hates the idea of women in the Navy. Alexis suffers daily indignities and punishments in hopes of driving her to resign.
Things go from bad to worse after she ends up taking temporary command of Hermione's fighting men. Her decent treatment of them results in Neil's control erodingto the point they're ready to rise up against him. Mutiny is punished by death and those who flee from it are hounded for the rest of their lives by the Navy--what will Alexis do in such a morally complicated situation?
I have to say J.A. Sutherland created a truly despicable villain in Captain Neils. A man who is so utterly stuck up himself that he refuses to see his men as anything other than extensions of his own will. I don't usually like completely black villains but it's easy to see every single one of his good qualities obliterated away by his station. He's a revolting specimen and yet someone I find entirely believable when interacting with his "lessers." He's easily the strongest of the four presently-released novel's antagonists and I wouldn't mind seeing him return.
The crew of the Hermione is well-developed and the author manages to make you feel the paranoia which Alexis must deal with. Which of the crew are friends? Which of the crew are foes? Who can be trusted, if anyone? It's an atmosphere of paranoia and exhaustion our favorite Midshipman is dealing with. They have their own stories, too, with my favorite being about a young man who was caught up in a legal impressment.
The space fleet action is fairly small as the Hermione is a frigate that only preys on merchant traffic due to its cowardly captain. However, there's an excellent action of licensed piracy by our heroine as she figures out how to take a ship which dramatically outguns hers. The action will delight readers even it doesn't involve a single cannon fired. The fact the story stops to talk about the traumatic cost of killing as well as risking your life in battle elevates it beyond many other series.
We also get some expansive world-building with the introduction of the Berry Marches, which is a Space German-ruled set of Space French worlds that are aiding the Hanover (Space Germany) military forces in fighting New London. I found this to be an interesting bit of world-building even if the characters there act a little too much like French stereotypes. I also felt somewhat off-put by Alexis' crush who feels like he belongs to an entirely different genre of books.
At the risk of spoilers, I should mention my favorite part of the book is the trial at the end with the evidence, arguments, and testimony being intriguing. Not many space opera books end up with a legal proceeding but given our heroine was involved (however peripherally) in a mutiny was something that deserved to be analyzed at length. I felt this climax was better than any space battle and really added to the story.
This book actually feels something like two different books because the second half of the novel slows down considerably and deals with the culture of the Berry Marches. Then there's the final stretch of the book that deals with the consequences of the mutiny. I would have greatly enjoyed these getting their own books and I felt they were rushed through here. Despite this, I consider this an extremely enjoyable tale.
9/10
The premise is our heroine, still fifteen-years-old and now suffering from PTSD after executing a pirate, has been assigned to the H.M.S. Hermione. It is not a happy ship as its captain, Neils, is a flogging happy tyrant who hates the idea of women in the Navy. Alexis suffers daily indignities and punishments in hopes of driving her to resign.
Things go from bad to worse after she ends up taking temporary command of Hermione's fighting men. Her decent treatment of them results in Neil's control erodingto the point they're ready to rise up against him. Mutiny is punished by death and those who flee from it are hounded for the rest of their lives by the Navy--what will Alexis do in such a morally complicated situation?
I have to say J.A. Sutherland created a truly despicable villain in Captain Neils. A man who is so utterly stuck up himself that he refuses to see his men as anything other than extensions of his own will. I don't usually like completely black villains but it's easy to see every single one of his good qualities obliterated away by his station. He's a revolting specimen and yet someone I find entirely believable when interacting with his "lessers." He's easily the strongest of the four presently-released novel's antagonists and I wouldn't mind seeing him return.
The crew of the Hermione is well-developed and the author manages to make you feel the paranoia which Alexis must deal with. Which of the crew are friends? Which of the crew are foes? Who can be trusted, if anyone? It's an atmosphere of paranoia and exhaustion our favorite Midshipman is dealing with. They have their own stories, too, with my favorite being about a young man who was caught up in a legal impressment.
The space fleet action is fairly small as the Hermione is a frigate that only preys on merchant traffic due to its cowardly captain. However, there's an excellent action of licensed piracy by our heroine as she figures out how to take a ship which dramatically outguns hers. The action will delight readers even it doesn't involve a single cannon fired. The fact the story stops to talk about the traumatic cost of killing as well as risking your life in battle elevates it beyond many other series.
We also get some expansive world-building with the introduction of the Berry Marches, which is a Space German-ruled set of Space French worlds that are aiding the Hanover (Space Germany) military forces in fighting New London. I found this to be an interesting bit of world-building even if the characters there act a little too much like French stereotypes. I also felt somewhat off-put by Alexis' crush who feels like he belongs to an entirely different genre of books.
At the risk of spoilers, I should mention my favorite part of the book is the trial at the end with the evidence, arguments, and testimony being intriguing. Not many space opera books end up with a legal proceeding but given our heroine was involved (however peripherally) in a mutiny was something that deserved to be analyzed at length. I felt this climax was better than any space battle and really added to the story.
This book actually feels something like two different books because the second half of the novel slows down considerably and deals with the culture of the Berry Marches. Then there's the final stretch of the book that deals with the consequences of the mutiny. I would have greatly enjoyed these getting their own books and I felt they were rushed through here. Despite this, I consider this an extremely enjoyable tale.
9/10
March 26, 2019
A thrilling second episode in the Alexis Carrow series; from her first berth with an efficient and fair Captain to her new birth on Hermione, Alexis' life looks to change significantly. Captain Neal is a harsh, cruel and unreasonable Captain who rules his men with an iron fist and regular floggings for the most minute of offences. And he seems to have a special hatred for females.
It is into this unhappy crew that Alexis steps and meets her own set of challenges.
In some ways it was a pity not to see much of any of our previous characters, but narratively it makes sense as Alexis is utterly isolated on her new berth. Sutherland also makes excellent use of new characters; from the petty cruelty of the other Midshipmen to the small acts of kindness that can be found on such an unforgiving berth from those you would least expect it from. Alexis grows and so do the characters around her in various ways. You genuinely feel for the poor souls aboard Hermione, stuck in a world where they have no say whatsoever and the captain will always be right, always be justified.
But there's only so long you can push a crew before they break and this tests Alexis more than she could ever have imagined. There are moments here that will make you wince, and moments that will make you cheer. High literature? Probably not. But a bloody good ride? Definitely.
It is into this unhappy crew that Alexis steps and meets her own set of challenges.
In some ways it was a pity not to see much of any of our previous characters, but narratively it makes sense as Alexis is utterly isolated on her new berth. Sutherland also makes excellent use of new characters; from the petty cruelty of the other Midshipmen to the small acts of kindness that can be found on such an unforgiving berth from those you would least expect it from. Alexis grows and so do the characters around her in various ways. You genuinely feel for the poor souls aboard Hermione, stuck in a world where they have no say whatsoever and the captain will always be right, always be justified.
But there's only so long you can push a crew before they break and this tests Alexis more than she could ever have imagined. There are moments here that will make you wince, and moments that will make you cheer. High literature? Probably not. But a bloody good ride? Definitely.
August 22, 2017
Alexis Carew is aboard a new ship in this second installment of the series bearing her name. As a midshipman, she hopes to be included in the officers’ circle, but nobody is pleased to have a woman on board. The captain especially is disturbed by her presence. Already a tyrant, Captain Neals sets her extra tasks, hoping she’ll fail so he can demote or dismiss her. Life gets increasingly worse as daily floggings become almost the norm and Alexis isn’t excluded from punishment. Her kindness to certain crew members doesn’t go unnoticed, so when a mutiny occurs, she’s kept out of it. But the mutineers take the ship into enemy territory, and captivity looms in her future. Can she find a ray of hope in this dismal landscape? Once again, Alexis’s leadership and skills rise to the forefront and justify her actions in the end. For a likeable heroine, military space action, and a realistic glance into the Royal Navy’s unsavory past, check out this story. The memorable characters and non-stop action will be sure to snag your attention.
February 3, 2017
Alexis Carew taking it up a notch.
Things aren't looking up for Mr. Midshipman Alexis Carew. After the comparative haven of her previous ship, she is transferred to H.M.S. Hermione and it's cruel and hateful captain. Hermione's captain hates women, is fond of liberal amounts of corporal punishment and is universally despised by every common spacer, deckhand and marine on board. Now Alexis must survive her tour among rising tensions among the crew and the harsh life as a sailor. A task made especially difficult with a captain who want's her (and every women) out of his navy, and an officer's core just as bad as their captain.
An interesting novel, far more so than I initially suspected. Alexis continues her career in the navy but, now has to deal with the truly had side of that choice. Not everyone wants her in the navy and they let her know it. And therein lies the strength of this novel. Where Alexis had to grow-up and adjust to her new environment. Now however she has to deal with adversity and hostility and needs to learn to cope with that. Even when things go from, bad, to worse, to complete hell. In all this Alexis grows tremendously as a character. Add to that, the fact that this novel encompases far more than it's Title Event, and this becomes a novel well worth reading.
So yes I'll be reading the next novel in the series.
Things aren't looking up for Mr. Midshipman Alexis Carew. After the comparative haven of her previous ship, she is transferred to H.M.S. Hermione and it's cruel and hateful captain. Hermione's captain hates women, is fond of liberal amounts of corporal punishment and is universally despised by every common spacer, deckhand and marine on board. Now Alexis must survive her tour among rising tensions among the crew and the harsh life as a sailor. A task made especially difficult with a captain who want's her (and every women) out of his navy, and an officer's core just as bad as their captain.
An interesting novel, far more so than I initially suspected. Alexis continues her career in the navy but, now has to deal with the truly had side of that choice. Not everyone wants her in the navy and they let her know it. And therein lies the strength of this novel. Where Alexis had to grow-up and adjust to her new environment. Now however she has to deal with adversity and hostility and needs to learn to cope with that. Even when things go from, bad, to worse, to complete hell. In all this Alexis grows tremendously as a character. Add to that, the fact that this novel encompases far more than it's Title Event, and this becomes a novel well worth reading.
So yes I'll be reading the next novel in the series.
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September 19, 2023Rating: minus 5
This series is awful and my mildly negative review must have rankled my Kindle tech friend, since this was one of the first of my reviews to have the Community Review tab entirely removed. I am looking forward to a very personal conversation with that Amazon employee. Meanwhile since I am doing a more thorough deconstruction, I aim to misbehave.
Before beginning this chore, I will stop at YouTube for a pick-me-up. This was begun courtesy of - Into Europe, Crow Caller, ATP Geopolitics, Biz Barclay, Verilybitchie, ThePrimeChronus, Alt Shift X, J Draper, KernowDamo, PonySmasher, A Day of Small Things, Sarah Millican, The Welsh Viking, MechWest Show, Hej Sokoly, Planarwalker, Geo Girl, Gutsick Gibbon, Octopus Lady, Just Write, Lady Knight the Brave, IL Neige, Up and Atom, Jean's Thoughts, North02, Lizcapism, Break N Remake, Hildegard von Blingin, Dungeon and Discourse, Daisy Viktoria, TIKHistory, Kristine Vike, Sound of Music Flashmob, Abney Park, Viva La Dirt League, Crecganford, The Historian's Craft.
I am embarrassed that I read this book and others of the series. The first volume was bad but I decided to overlook the worst. From this book on the writer leaves nothing to the imagination as to his lack of historical knowledge, his general knowledge of current physics, his misogynist worldview, his very pro-slavery beliefs, his racist view of humanity (he limits real humans to the English), his interpretation of Britain excluding Welsh, Irish, Cornish and Scottish population. This writer is a very troubled person.
I will look at the world building first, since every truly horrible US science fiction book fails at that point. This book is and does. The space involved in this book has no history. There is no explanation as to why it is or how long it has been. There is no mention of Earth, including whether it still exists. There seem to be four only interstellar polities Prussia, Francia, New London and a generic Muslim state with no ethnicity specified.
If the book is supposedly based on the age of sail, The four kingdoms are an odd choice. Of the four Prussia has no place in the naval sphere. The French navy in that scenario are a force to be recognized. Various Islamic entities also were from North African pirate states to the Ottoman Empire are a powerful influence. The assumed predominance of the Royal Navy is not established until the Napoleonic period.
The series is set in a vaguely sixteenth/seventeenth/eighteenth century political universe. The period from 1500 to 1799 saw Europe and the world experience successive and massive changes. A generic Age of Sail as background is ridiculous. A serious writer picks a period, does some research on the technological changes, the economic and financial developments, the social changes accompanying the transition from Mercantilism to capitalism, etc.
The technology includes naval structure and strategy, crew discipline and living conditions. The technology requires some description of propulsion, navigation, weaponry and sensors. It also requires travel time standards and voyage length.
The main character's society needs a history and the relationship between it and Earth. The same is necessary for all other societies in a future world. There is also a need for the distance between Earth and this space in both time and place.
Before I write my opinion of the writer's effort or lack thereof to supply answers for the above, I need another YouTube break. This next is brought to you by the channels - Leeja Miller, Alizee, EarleWrites, Interior Design Hub, Dungeon Dad, Kings and Generals, Cruising Crafts, Emma Thorne, Fantasy and World Music by the Fletchers, Digging for Britain, The Fortress of Lugh, The Kavernacle, May, Up and Atom, Eleanor Morton, Archaeology Now, Deerstalker Pictures, Annie's Literary Empire, The British Museum, Cruising Alba, Narrowboat Pirate, Cambrian Chronicles, Katie Makes Stuff, The Closet Historian, Princess Weekes, Jay Exci, Amanda the Jedi, Part Time Hobbit, Jess of the Shire, SK Media, Crecganford, Engineering with Rosie, Times Radio.
Goodreads no longer Allow me to see the views of other readers on books for which I write a review. Since I can not see them, I can only suggest that you scan the one star reviews for a more complete picture of this writer's work. Goodreads also mask commenter names on my reviews and there have been other strange restrictions. Goodreads will not Allow me to remove my last lurker. Dr Susan Hamilton, a Maths professor at University of Tennessee posted nothing for more than two years since her friend request. She has also not responded to five requests that she unfriend me and I have had difficulty contacting her directly. I filed several complaints with Goodreads about this woman and as with my other queries over now more than four years, have received no acknowledgment.
It would be sad for her to find me that fascinating. I am just not that interesting. My siblings all agree.
Update. I discovered the attempted Australian government investigation into my personal life using my Goodreads message history. Dr Hamilton after a year, "Stone" a creepy after three year long open friend request and every other unwelcome follower suddenly disappeared. A note to the reader, a friend account creates a pathway for an Amazon/Kindle employee to monitor members, while bypassing the system log of unusual employee interest.
Details of the background universe.
New London might be a Kingdom, a Dutchy or Principality but is never defined even several books in. I doubt that the writer would know the difference. New London's authority over any of the supposedly subordinate stellar systems is not defined several books in. The strength of New London's navy is undefined several books in.
New London's society rests on perpetual multi-generational indentured servitude not subject to laws beyond those enacted by local system governments. That is slavery in practise if not in name. New London have a parliamentary system that is not explained and their actual function is not mentioned. I assume the monarchy exists because the emphasis on hereditary nobility, would seem to indicate such. The writer does not even mention a monarchy. I have read sad fantasy books but never have I seem so many holes in just one element of the background.
The one muslim system seems to be outside the authority of New London and to have no fleet, naval or merchant but it is not clear. The one inhabited planet is of course, a desert world. There is no mention of various ethnicities or Islamic sects. The physical description of the population seems to not include Indonesians (largest muslim population on Earth, at present), North Africa's berbers, West African or other sub-Saharan muslim populations, Caucasian or Asiatic Muslim populations from Chechnya to North East China, Pakistani or Indian muslims. I leave it you to decide whether this demonstrates lazy ignorance and racism or not.
The local officials attempt to murder two sailors who violated some version of Sharia law when they pestered a female market vendor, with little fear of retaliation. The episode is so bizarre that I can not guess whether this scene is copied from the US Afghanistan experience or the arrogance of North African pirate states.
The French kingdom is unlike the first two societies, being based on old American movies of World War Two occupied France. It is another kingdom without a monarchy or a nobility and with it seems, only one system. Population and society description are not given. For some reason which was also not given Prussia defeated France in a war with no description. The reasons for war are not given and how this defeat was accomplished were not given. French women are apparently loose women and readily get impregnated by New London sailors. I do not know what more to say about this, except to note the limits of the writer's warped imagination and racist ignorance, historical and other.
The Prussian kingdom exists as a label only. It has no history, no territory size, no navy description, no society description, no monarchy or nobility mentioned and no technology described. Since Germany defeated and temporarily occupied France during World War Two, this piece of background is somehow plausible to the readership if the ratings have any meaning.
Details of the storytelling such as It is.
Women: Across this entire expanse of space, women have no right to property ownership, no autonomy even as regards their bodies, not allowed participation in governance, Good women accept being victimized and defend their abuse, only women of the upper classes are human, though not equals. Women of the wealthy family are relieved of any responsibility because female agency is the leading cause of maternal mortality during child birth. That a number of female readers enjoyed this series stunned me.
Workers: The upside of slavery.
Slavery is not so bad and is beneficial to the slave as a skills development program. Slaves are happy and appreciative as long as their owner maintains discipline. Slaves are not developed enough to make their own decisions and find removal of the possibility comforting. As the Good owner explains to his granddaughter, "They knew what they were getting into". This was added to justify a system of workers seeking employment being regularly shuttled to frontier systems and belied his own exposition and background. Workers sign a contract and once they are employed, the new employees discover that laws are now passed that do not allow for the terms of the contract you signed and you can not escape.
Workers: The downside of slavery.
None.
Workers:
The best worker is assured of housing, several daily meals of no particular quality and spared the exhaustion of education. Peasant status is too unstable for their fragile minds. Serfdom is better because It provides security. A thoughtful owner assures that they are saved from the burdens of parenting by relieving his workers of that responsibility. Indentured servitude with a legal multi-generational contract is what a thoughtful owner provides. The stability of the worker's future is guaranteed as he is also transferred as property should the land be sold. Their right to own no property in the main character's system is enshrined in a law that only males of the original fifty founding families may own property anywhere in the star system. Happy slaves, I meant workers.
I definitely earned another break at this point. This next was made possible by YouTube channels - The Juice Media, Sailing Melody, New Economic Thinking, Mia Mulder, Viva La Dirt League, Dungeon Dad, Lily Alexandre, Hakim, Harbo Wholmes, Gemma Dyer, Second Thought, Celtic Woman, Wayward Winchester, Living Anachronism, The Book Leo, Ship Happens, Terrible Writing Advice, Viva La Dirt League, A Cup of Nicole, Books and Lala, Max Barskih - Don't F@ck with Ukraine, SK Media, Hello Future Me, Bobbing Along, Alysotherlife, Military History Visualized, Cruising Crafts, Study of Antiquity and the Middle Ages, Eckharts Ladder, Oliviareadsalatte.
The writer included several Fringe worlds that are "religious cultures", as an explanation for there being no systems in this entire region of space in which women have any rights. The women on those planets some of which have populations numbering as many as one hundred residents, are described as fanatics determined to preserve their lack of human rights.
The main character is demoted and whipped as happens to a midshipman from a noble family. She is a good sport and even defends her punishment to rebellious fellow crew. The payoff is her enhanced sexiness in later books. I saw a famous photograph of the back of a whip-scarred black man, who was an ex-slave. I was physically ill. This horrible scarring is what creates the main character's sexy charm later. Eww! This writer should seek metal health treatment and perhaps any reader finding that sexy should join him.
A reader not familiar with shipboard life in the Age of Sail, might visit Military History Visualized, Call of History or other history channel for an examination of ship's discipline and why no officer would be subjected to whipping. There are good reasons. That this future navy would use hundreds of years old rules such as those is odd, unless the writer needed the young girl mutilated publicly. See paragraph above.
The writer also imagined star ships firing eighteenth century cannon matches, round shot and all in broadside exchanges. The open non-pressurized gundeck and boarding a ship by swinging from sail rope to the enemy deck is equally romantic. Match, fire and smoke in a vacuum set the right tone for an eight year old male child.
Weber has written a splendid series, the Honorverse, He used the French revolution and Britain as the model for a series taking place a significant distance from from the bulk of human space. He did not introduce seventeenth century cannon. He did not add spoiled food to naval rations as part of the setting. Discipline in none of the navies described, involved the whip. He described a logical and consistent geopolitical framework for many major and minor interstellar entities. His kingdoms actually were headed by monarchs. The same is true of Drake's "Reilly and the Lightnings" series.
This writer drenched the book with exposition, possibly to draw attention to his gross politics. Each instance of his interrupting the plot was to justify the abuse of women or slavery. His main character is given a speech in which she explains that almost all women are too silly, irresponsible, etc to act in their own interest. This writer has serious issues with women.
His other messages are a sick American version of the North Atlantic slave trade and he also used the book to illustrate his racist interpretation of Muslim cultures and nations. This book is not a naval adventure but what properly should be a therapeutic exercise to be read only by his therapist. Instead a US publisher's editor found the writing, characters and background acceptable. Entertainment without critical thought can be dangerous.
US publishers print only three categories of science fiction at the low end of the genre - The No Effort, The Insulting and The Abhorrent. This writer is consistent in adhering to the requirements of the Abhorrent category across the entire series. For the first time, I now watch my fiction. The streaming services provide more entertaining and usually better written science fiction stories than the print. YouTube carry a number of short film channels of which DUST and Omeleto are two good choices.
I began searching YouTube for the first time more than two years ago. I originally wanted science fiction news and commentary and was stunned by all the other interest area channels. Eventually I came across the book channels. 😍 The book channels are a wonderful space. The communities created are of thoughtful, readers with varied interests and tastes but enamoured of all things bookish. I recommend a visit to several book channels for any reader and have listed several below. The educational and essayist channels usually have sponsor spots for educational video sites, which are host to long form essayists, documentary series and lectures across every conceivable topic or discipline. My first was Nebula and I feel that they are all worth a look.
About the quality and utility of Goodreads. I wrote a short fast short negative review of Powers of the Earth, an unremarkable, poorly written salute to the January 6, 2021 hero by Travis Corcoran. He is a self-described libertarian and vocal advocate for the return of chattel slavery, a US veteran and supporter of Putin's Russia, an employee of an unnamed US agency. He and six friends devoted a year to sending comments depending a response. I never realized that libertarian snowflakes were so needy.
Claes Rees Jr/cgr710 wrote a comment finally declaring that They had "won" (?). I discovered that They had launched a year long flood of gross sexual and racist comments against channels which I mentioned. The Swedish essayist, the canal boater, the pensioner, the book critic and the many other female creators were not impressed. The world's overabundance of unpleasantness was successfully increased and a perfect self-portrait of the twisted freedom loving American man-child was delivered to a multinational audience. Their little minds (if such exist) probably counted those two last a victory. Goodreads discourse. Yay ?? USA, Yay ??
My YouTube picks of the moment.
Jake Broe, TVP World, Acollierastro. Sarah Millican, Tom Nicholas, Sort of Interesting, Hakim, Lily Alexandre, Female Warriors - Teresatessa, Gutsick Gibbon, Planarwalker, Ben G Thomas, Camper Vibe, History with Kayleigh, Abney Park, The Welsh Viking, The MechWest Show, The Tale Foundry.
About Goodreads/Kindle/Amazon, please consider that this might be a hostile site. 😐
Ominous music begins. 🙂 From the examples above of Goodreads themselves and members, you may have realized that I do not find much value in the site. A last note is that my limited message history was given to Australian Intelligence and those worthies attempted to interrogate a friend for my personal information. This action was performed as a favour to some US top secret clearance holder. Kindle and Goodreads are not just petty but have demonstrated to me at least, that they can be dangerous.
You may be safe depending on the whims of the freedom loving nutcase but in case your status should change I have suggestions. To minimize information on your profile, exchange emails not messages, remove all lurkers (the friend who monitors but never posts), add nothing to Kindle such as calendar or email, cost nothing while to not might well do. Never forget these animals know neither restraint nor morality and they are American males. Ominous music ends. 🙂
Be well my frnd and may we all find Good Reading. 😊
I am not a particularly knowledgeable source of good or useful YouTube channels but these are some of my favourites.
Bobbing Along, Mandy - web series, Kings and Generals, Some More News, EarleWrites, The Juice Media, Tom Nicholas, Tara Mooknee, Munecat, May Moon Narrowboat, Cruising Crafts, Tiny Wee Boat, Real Engineering, Philosophy Tube, Owen Jones, Event Horizon, Elina Charatsidou, Between the Wars, Real Time History, Tulia, Jean's Thoughts, Natasha's Adventures, Jake Broe, The Russian Dude, Camper Vibe, Cruising Alba, Narrowboat Pirate, JamCam and Cam, Prime of Midlife, Tibees, Geo Girl, Crow Caller, Book Furnace, Autumn's Boutique, Bernadette Banner, Karolina Zebrowska, Beautifully Bookish Bethany, A Day of Small Things, World of Antiquity, Adult Wednesday Addams - 2 seasons, Julie Nolke, 2 Cellos, Practical Engineering, Cruising the Cut, Second Thought, Patrick is a Navajo, Vlad Vexler, Sarah Z, Noah Samsen, No Justice MTG, Book Odyssey, The Templin Institute, Big Think, Spacedock, Kathy's Flog in France, All Shorts, Dan Davis History, New Economic Thinking, Then & Now, Prof Richard Wolff, The Shades of Orange, Diane Callahan Quotidian Writer, The Historian's Craft, Paleo Analysis, Traveling K, Roomies Digest, Northern Narrowboaters, A Day of Small Things, Up and Atom, Olly Richards, The Leftist Cooks, A Life of Lit, Beautifully Bookish Bethany, Pentatonix, The Armchair Historian, Brandon F, NFKRZ, AllShorts, Rowan J Coleman.
I wish you a sunny morning, a glorious afternoon, a pleasant evening, a wonderful night and may we all continue to learn.
Through fiction, we can shape and limit the imagination of the populace.
Woodrow Wilson
This series is awful and my mildly negative review must have rankled my Kindle tech friend, since this was one of the first of my reviews to have the Community Review tab entirely removed. I am looking forward to a very personal conversation with that Amazon employee. Meanwhile since I am doing a more thorough deconstruction, I aim to misbehave.
Before beginning this chore, I will stop at YouTube for a pick-me-up. This was begun courtesy of - Into Europe, Crow Caller, ATP Geopolitics, Biz Barclay, Verilybitchie, ThePrimeChronus, Alt Shift X, J Draper, KernowDamo, PonySmasher, A Day of Small Things, Sarah Millican, The Welsh Viking, MechWest Show, Hej Sokoly, Planarwalker, Geo Girl, Gutsick Gibbon, Octopus Lady, Just Write, Lady Knight the Brave, IL Neige, Up and Atom, Jean's Thoughts, North02, Lizcapism, Break N Remake, Hildegard von Blingin, Dungeon and Discourse, Daisy Viktoria, TIKHistory, Kristine Vike, Sound of Music Flashmob, Abney Park, Viva La Dirt League, Crecganford, The Historian's Craft.
I am embarrassed that I read this book and others of the series. The first volume was bad but I decided to overlook the worst. From this book on the writer leaves nothing to the imagination as to his lack of historical knowledge, his general knowledge of current physics, his misogynist worldview, his very pro-slavery beliefs, his racist view of humanity (he limits real humans to the English), his interpretation of Britain excluding Welsh, Irish, Cornish and Scottish population. This writer is a very troubled person.
I will look at the world building first, since every truly horrible US science fiction book fails at that point. This book is and does. The space involved in this book has no history. There is no explanation as to why it is or how long it has been. There is no mention of Earth, including whether it still exists. There seem to be four only interstellar polities Prussia, Francia, New London and a generic Muslim state with no ethnicity specified.
If the book is supposedly based on the age of sail, The four kingdoms are an odd choice. Of the four Prussia has no place in the naval sphere. The French navy in that scenario are a force to be recognized. Various Islamic entities also were from North African pirate states to the Ottoman Empire are a powerful influence. The assumed predominance of the Royal Navy is not established until the Napoleonic period.
The series is set in a vaguely sixteenth/seventeenth/eighteenth century political universe. The period from 1500 to 1799 saw Europe and the world experience successive and massive changes. A generic Age of Sail as background is ridiculous. A serious writer picks a period, does some research on the technological changes, the economic and financial developments, the social changes accompanying the transition from Mercantilism to capitalism, etc.
The technology includes naval structure and strategy, crew discipline and living conditions. The technology requires some description of propulsion, navigation, weaponry and sensors. It also requires travel time standards and voyage length.
The main character's society needs a history and the relationship between it and Earth. The same is necessary for all other societies in a future world. There is also a need for the distance between Earth and this space in both time and place.
Before I write my opinion of the writer's effort or lack thereof to supply answers for the above, I need another YouTube break. This next is brought to you by the channels - Leeja Miller, Alizee, EarleWrites, Interior Design Hub, Dungeon Dad, Kings and Generals, Cruising Crafts, Emma Thorne, Fantasy and World Music by the Fletchers, Digging for Britain, The Fortress of Lugh, The Kavernacle, May, Up and Atom, Eleanor Morton, Archaeology Now, Deerstalker Pictures, Annie's Literary Empire, The British Museum, Cruising Alba, Narrowboat Pirate, Cambrian Chronicles, Katie Makes Stuff, The Closet Historian, Princess Weekes, Jay Exci, Amanda the Jedi, Part Time Hobbit, Jess of the Shire, SK Media, Crecganford, Engineering with Rosie, Times Radio.
Goodreads no longer Allow me to see the views of other readers on books for which I write a review. Since I can not see them, I can only suggest that you scan the one star reviews for a more complete picture of this writer's work. Goodreads also mask commenter names on my reviews and there have been other strange restrictions. Goodreads will not Allow me to remove my last lurker. Dr Susan Hamilton, a Maths professor at University of Tennessee posted nothing for more than two years since her friend request. She has also not responded to five requests that she unfriend me and I have had difficulty contacting her directly. I filed several complaints with Goodreads about this woman and as with my other queries over now more than four years, have received no acknowledgment.
It would be sad for her to find me that fascinating. I am just not that interesting. My siblings all agree.
Update. I discovered the attempted Australian government investigation into my personal life using my Goodreads message history. Dr Hamilton after a year, "Stone" a creepy after three year long open friend request and every other unwelcome follower suddenly disappeared. A note to the reader, a friend account creates a pathway for an Amazon/Kindle employee to monitor members, while bypassing the system log of unusual employee interest.
Details of the background universe.
New London might be a Kingdom, a Dutchy or Principality but is never defined even several books in. I doubt that the writer would know the difference. New London's authority over any of the supposedly subordinate stellar systems is not defined several books in. The strength of New London's navy is undefined several books in.
New London's society rests on perpetual multi-generational indentured servitude not subject to laws beyond those enacted by local system governments. That is slavery in practise if not in name. New London have a parliamentary system that is not explained and their actual function is not mentioned. I assume the monarchy exists because the emphasis on hereditary nobility, would seem to indicate such. The writer does not even mention a monarchy. I have read sad fantasy books but never have I seem so many holes in just one element of the background.
The one muslim system seems to be outside the authority of New London and to have no fleet, naval or merchant but it is not clear. The one inhabited planet is of course, a desert world. There is no mention of various ethnicities or Islamic sects. The physical description of the population seems to not include Indonesians (largest muslim population on Earth, at present), North Africa's berbers, West African or other sub-Saharan muslim populations, Caucasian or Asiatic Muslim populations from Chechnya to North East China, Pakistani or Indian muslims. I leave it you to decide whether this demonstrates lazy ignorance and racism or not.
The local officials attempt to murder two sailors who violated some version of Sharia law when they pestered a female market vendor, with little fear of retaliation. The episode is so bizarre that I can not guess whether this scene is copied from the US Afghanistan experience or the arrogance of North African pirate states.
The French kingdom is unlike the first two societies, being based on old American movies of World War Two occupied France. It is another kingdom without a monarchy or a nobility and with it seems, only one system. Population and society description are not given. For some reason which was also not given Prussia defeated France in a war with no description. The reasons for war are not given and how this defeat was accomplished were not given. French women are apparently loose women and readily get impregnated by New London sailors. I do not know what more to say about this, except to note the limits of the writer's warped imagination and racist ignorance, historical and other.
The Prussian kingdom exists as a label only. It has no history, no territory size, no navy description, no society description, no monarchy or nobility mentioned and no technology described. Since Germany defeated and temporarily occupied France during World War Two, this piece of background is somehow plausible to the readership if the ratings have any meaning.
Details of the storytelling such as It is.
Women: Across this entire expanse of space, women have no right to property ownership, no autonomy even as regards their bodies, not allowed participation in governance, Good women accept being victimized and defend their abuse, only women of the upper classes are human, though not equals. Women of the wealthy family are relieved of any responsibility because female agency is the leading cause of maternal mortality during child birth. That a number of female readers enjoyed this series stunned me.
Workers: The upside of slavery.
Slavery is not so bad and is beneficial to the slave as a skills development program. Slaves are happy and appreciative as long as their owner maintains discipline. Slaves are not developed enough to make their own decisions and find removal of the possibility comforting. As the Good owner explains to his granddaughter, "They knew what they were getting into". This was added to justify a system of workers seeking employment being regularly shuttled to frontier systems and belied his own exposition and background. Workers sign a contract and once they are employed, the new employees discover that laws are now passed that do not allow for the terms of the contract you signed and you can not escape.
Workers: The downside of slavery.
None.
Workers:
The best worker is assured of housing, several daily meals of no particular quality and spared the exhaustion of education. Peasant status is too unstable for their fragile minds. Serfdom is better because It provides security. A thoughtful owner assures that they are saved from the burdens of parenting by relieving his workers of that responsibility. Indentured servitude with a legal multi-generational contract is what a thoughtful owner provides. The stability of the worker's future is guaranteed as he is also transferred as property should the land be sold. Their right to own no property in the main character's system is enshrined in a law that only males of the original fifty founding families may own property anywhere in the star system. Happy slaves, I meant workers.
I definitely earned another break at this point. This next was made possible by YouTube channels - The Juice Media, Sailing Melody, New Economic Thinking, Mia Mulder, Viva La Dirt League, Dungeon Dad, Lily Alexandre, Hakim, Harbo Wholmes, Gemma Dyer, Second Thought, Celtic Woman, Wayward Winchester, Living Anachronism, The Book Leo, Ship Happens, Terrible Writing Advice, Viva La Dirt League, A Cup of Nicole, Books and Lala, Max Barskih - Don't F@ck with Ukraine, SK Media, Hello Future Me, Bobbing Along, Alysotherlife, Military History Visualized, Cruising Crafts, Study of Antiquity and the Middle Ages, Eckharts Ladder, Oliviareadsalatte.
The writer included several Fringe worlds that are "religious cultures", as an explanation for there being no systems in this entire region of space in which women have any rights. The women on those planets some of which have populations numbering as many as one hundred residents, are described as fanatics determined to preserve their lack of human rights.
The main character is demoted and whipped as happens to a midshipman from a noble family. She is a good sport and even defends her punishment to rebellious fellow crew. The payoff is her enhanced sexiness in later books. I saw a famous photograph of the back of a whip-scarred black man, who was an ex-slave. I was physically ill. This horrible scarring is what creates the main character's sexy charm later. Eww! This writer should seek metal health treatment and perhaps any reader finding that sexy should join him.
A reader not familiar with shipboard life in the Age of Sail, might visit Military History Visualized, Call of History or other history channel for an examination of ship's discipline and why no officer would be subjected to whipping. There are good reasons. That this future navy would use hundreds of years old rules such as those is odd, unless the writer needed the young girl mutilated publicly. See paragraph above.
The writer also imagined star ships firing eighteenth century cannon matches, round shot and all in broadside exchanges. The open non-pressurized gundeck and boarding a ship by swinging from sail rope to the enemy deck is equally romantic. Match, fire and smoke in a vacuum set the right tone for an eight year old male child.
Weber has written a splendid series, the Honorverse, He used the French revolution and Britain as the model for a series taking place a significant distance from from the bulk of human space. He did not introduce seventeenth century cannon. He did not add spoiled food to naval rations as part of the setting. Discipline in none of the navies described, involved the whip. He described a logical and consistent geopolitical framework for many major and minor interstellar entities. His kingdoms actually were headed by monarchs. The same is true of Drake's "Reilly and the Lightnings" series.
This writer drenched the book with exposition, possibly to draw attention to his gross politics. Each instance of his interrupting the plot was to justify the abuse of women or slavery. His main character is given a speech in which she explains that almost all women are too silly, irresponsible, etc to act in their own interest. This writer has serious issues with women.
His other messages are a sick American version of the North Atlantic slave trade and he also used the book to illustrate his racist interpretation of Muslim cultures and nations. This book is not a naval adventure but what properly should be a therapeutic exercise to be read only by his therapist. Instead a US publisher's editor found the writing, characters and background acceptable. Entertainment without critical thought can be dangerous.
US publishers print only three categories of science fiction at the low end of the genre - The No Effort, The Insulting and The Abhorrent. This writer is consistent in adhering to the requirements of the Abhorrent category across the entire series. For the first time, I now watch my fiction. The streaming services provide more entertaining and usually better written science fiction stories than the print. YouTube carry a number of short film channels of which DUST and Omeleto are two good choices.
I began searching YouTube for the first time more than two years ago. I originally wanted science fiction news and commentary and was stunned by all the other interest area channels. Eventually I came across the book channels. 😍 The book channels are a wonderful space. The communities created are of thoughtful, readers with varied interests and tastes but enamoured of all things bookish. I recommend a visit to several book channels for any reader and have listed several below. The educational and essayist channels usually have sponsor spots for educational video sites, which are host to long form essayists, documentary series and lectures across every conceivable topic or discipline. My first was Nebula and I feel that they are all worth a look.
About the quality and utility of Goodreads. I wrote a short fast short negative review of Powers of the Earth, an unremarkable, poorly written salute to the January 6, 2021 hero by Travis Corcoran. He is a self-described libertarian and vocal advocate for the return of chattel slavery, a US veteran and supporter of Putin's Russia, an employee of an unnamed US agency. He and six friends devoted a year to sending comments depending a response. I never realized that libertarian snowflakes were so needy.
Claes Rees Jr/cgr710 wrote a comment finally declaring that They had "won" (?). I discovered that They had launched a year long flood of gross sexual and racist comments against channels which I mentioned. The Swedish essayist, the canal boater, the pensioner, the book critic and the many other female creators were not impressed. The world's overabundance of unpleasantness was successfully increased and a perfect self-portrait of the twisted freedom loving American man-child was delivered to a multinational audience. Their little minds (if such exist) probably counted those two last a victory. Goodreads discourse. Yay ?? USA, Yay ??
My YouTube picks of the moment.
Jake Broe, TVP World, Acollierastro. Sarah Millican, Tom Nicholas, Sort of Interesting, Hakim, Lily Alexandre, Female Warriors - Teresatessa, Gutsick Gibbon, Planarwalker, Ben G Thomas, Camper Vibe, History with Kayleigh, Abney Park, The Welsh Viking, The MechWest Show, The Tale Foundry.
About Goodreads/Kindle/Amazon, please consider that this might be a hostile site. 😐
Ominous music begins. 🙂 From the examples above of Goodreads themselves and members, you may have realized that I do not find much value in the site. A last note is that my limited message history was given to Australian Intelligence and those worthies attempted to interrogate a friend for my personal information. This action was performed as a favour to some US top secret clearance holder. Kindle and Goodreads are not just petty but have demonstrated to me at least, that they can be dangerous.
You may be safe depending on the whims of the freedom loving nutcase but in case your status should change I have suggestions. To minimize information on your profile, exchange emails not messages, remove all lurkers (the friend who monitors but never posts), add nothing to Kindle such as calendar or email, cost nothing while to not might well do. Never forget these animals know neither restraint nor morality and they are American males. Ominous music ends. 🙂
Be well my frnd and may we all find Good Reading. 😊
I am not a particularly knowledgeable source of good or useful YouTube channels but these are some of my favourites.
Bobbing Along, Mandy - web series, Kings and Generals, Some More News, EarleWrites, The Juice Media, Tom Nicholas, Tara Mooknee, Munecat, May Moon Narrowboat, Cruising Crafts, Tiny Wee Boat, Real Engineering, Philosophy Tube, Owen Jones, Event Horizon, Elina Charatsidou, Between the Wars, Real Time History, Tulia, Jean's Thoughts, Natasha's Adventures, Jake Broe, The Russian Dude, Camper Vibe, Cruising Alba, Narrowboat Pirate, JamCam and Cam, Prime of Midlife, Tibees, Geo Girl, Crow Caller, Book Furnace, Autumn's Boutique, Bernadette Banner, Karolina Zebrowska, Beautifully Bookish Bethany, A Day of Small Things, World of Antiquity, Adult Wednesday Addams - 2 seasons, Julie Nolke, 2 Cellos, Practical Engineering, Cruising the Cut, Second Thought, Patrick is a Navajo, Vlad Vexler, Sarah Z, Noah Samsen, No Justice MTG, Book Odyssey, The Templin Institute, Big Think, Spacedock, Kathy's Flog in France, All Shorts, Dan Davis History, New Economic Thinking, Then & Now, Prof Richard Wolff, The Shades of Orange, Diane Callahan Quotidian Writer, The Historian's Craft, Paleo Analysis, Traveling K, Roomies Digest, Northern Narrowboaters, A Day of Small Things, Up and Atom, Olly Richards, The Leftist Cooks, A Life of Lit, Beautifully Bookish Bethany, Pentatonix, The Armchair Historian, Brandon F, NFKRZ, AllShorts, Rowan J Coleman.
I wish you a sunny morning, a glorious afternoon, a pleasant evening, a wonderful night and may we all continue to learn.
Through fiction, we can shape and limit the imagination of the populace.
Woodrow Wilson
June 21, 2018
Wow. This series is really starting to grab me.
In this book, Alexis is transferred to Hermione, AKA the ship from hell - in that it is hell for anyone who serves on her. Her Captain is a sadistic shit who believes in the adage, "Floggings will continue until performance improves", which of course it never does. He's a real piece of work - and especially cruel to the only female crewmember: Alexis.
Still, Alexis does manage to survive this ordeal and I cannot say enough about how rewarding it is to see here vindicated in the end. A very well crafted and written story. Also, apparently, as horrible as conditions aboard Hermione are described in this book, there is record of a real-life HMS Hermione ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Her... ) in the old Brittish wet Navy where worse occurred - which was the inspiration for this excellent chapter in the Alexis Carew series.
In this book, Alexis is transferred to Hermione, AKA the ship from hell - in that it is hell for anyone who serves on her. Her Captain is a sadistic shit who believes in the adage, "Floggings will continue until performance improves", which of course it never does. He's a real piece of work - and especially cruel to the only female crewmember: Alexis.
Still, Alexis does manage to survive this ordeal and I cannot say enough about how rewarding it is to see here vindicated in the end. A very well crafted and written story. Also, apparently, as horrible as conditions aboard Hermione are described in this book, there is record of a real-life HMS Hermione ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Her... ) in the old Brittish wet Navy where worse occurred - which was the inspiration for this excellent chapter in the Alexis Carew series.
July 24, 2017
I almost stop reading the series but I was listening to an audio book and I'm like what the hell. I ended up enjoying this series tho so far so go fig.
April 15, 2017
Midshipman Alexis Carew faces more and greater challenges as she is assigned to a ship commanded by a tyrant. Her life and her very survival is in jeopardy as she finds herself in the clutches of a sexist, sadistic Commanding Officer. As her star nation finds itself in a war with its neighbors, her ship and its captain seem more concerned with prize money gained from interdicting weaker merchant ships than prosecuting war against enemy combat ships. One such situation nearly gets Alexis captured and killed when she is abandoned in enemy territory during a botched operation. This book has many twists, turns and situations which test the metal of this young woman who is taking on societal expectations of what a proper young lady should do versus what she can actually do, especially when the chips are down.
I highly recommend this book as I did its predecessor. Well worth the time and energy (especially in dealing with the age of sail techno-babel used in both books).
I highly recommend this book as I did its predecessor. Well worth the time and energy (especially in dealing with the age of sail techno-babel used in both books).
June 11, 2017
I quite enjoyed this book but there were several things about the story that slightly annoyed me. First this story has been done to death, the evil cowedly, bigoted captain abusing the young midshipman, a supporting cast of caricatures and then the mutiny and trial. The problem is that other authors have done this much better and I couldn't help comparing this with dozens of books I have read over the last 50 years. (just a few examples would include; CS Forester, Patrick O’Brian, Alexander Kent, Dudley Pope, David Donachie, Richard Woodman, Parkinson C Northcote)
Also I really couldn’t understand the way Alexis would attempt to save the Captain with the prospect of allowing him back into situation where he can abuse, flog and murder the men she purports to care about. Plus she isn’t stupid and must have realised what he would do when they got back to New London.
Also I really couldn’t understand the way Alexis would attempt to save the Captain with the prospect of allowing him back into situation where he can abuse, flog and murder the men she purports to care about. Plus she isn’t stupid and must have realised what he would do when they got back to New London.
May 15, 2016
Just as I feared, this book was very hard to read at times but that's just a testament to the writing and how much the author made me love the characters who were being so horribly mistreated. While fraught with frustration, this book also had the heart-warming moments I so loved from the first book. Alexis is a wonderful character-- honorable and caring and strong. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.
Be sure to read book 1 first. Though there is some recap of events from that book, much of what makes this series special will be missed if the books aren't read in order.
Be sure to read book 1 first. Though there is some recap of events from that book, much of what makes this series special will be missed if the books aren't read in order.
July 31, 2016
Summary: Good SF space opera. Interesting premise which makes use of some recent physics. Much darker plot than the first book. I really like the European worlds (French and German). The title speaks volumes. Highly recommended.
Plotline: A little bit predictable but well thought out and moves along nicely
Premise: Works well dark matter/energy and Lagrange points leading to interesting/primitive space fights.
Writing: Descriptive, highly readable
Ending: Good one, justice ?
Pace: Never a dull moment!
Plotline: A little bit predictable but well thought out and moves along nicely
Premise: Works well dark matter/energy and Lagrange points leading to interesting/primitive space fights.
Writing: Descriptive, highly readable
Ending: Good one, justice ?
Pace: Never a dull moment!
October 23, 2016
I generally enjoyed this book, and I'm generally a fan of girl-power, overcoming misogyny themes in books, but the idea that humans would have interstellar travel and *still* be so culturally backwards is sort of depressing. Maybe it's just the current election wearing on me, but god, I hope by the time humans achieve space travel we'll have overcome more of our inequality.
I was super amused by Alexis's accidental encounter at one of the "houses" - you'll know what I'm talking about if you read the book.
I was super amused by Alexis's accidental encounter at one of the "houses" - you'll know what I'm talking about if you read the book.
July 1, 2017
Wonderful
As a Naval Officer you know what is right Alexis Carew and Honor Harrington, among others, display what you want in good officers. Take care of your men and they will take care of you. Initiative, common sense, and professionalism, I am looking forward to the next installment.
As a Naval Officer you know what is right Alexis Carew and Honor Harrington, among others, display what you want in good officers. Take care of your men and they will take care of you. Initiative, common sense, and professionalism, I am looking forward to the next installment.
March 5, 2019
Horatio Hornblower. In space. And female.
I read books 1-6 in quick succession so this is a combined review of them all.
The author creates a believable universe in which FTL travel occurs in a manner that, through necessity, replicates the feel of the age of sail of the early 19th century. While this might seem contrived at first glance, this reality is so interwoven into the characters and the universe that you quickly just accept it as (fictional) fact and enjoy the story. The technology levels of developed worlds hits all of the expected high notes; it is really just the FTL travel that morphs into a different era.
The tale of Alexis Carew mirrors that of Horatio Hornblower to a great extent. Born into a star-spanning nation modeled politically and culturally on the British Empire of the early 19th century, Alexis joins the Navy as a midshipman and faces a series of trials and adventures that certainly pay homage to, and remind the reader of Hornblower's travails. Carew's tale includes more of her home life than Hornblowers, which adds to and deepens her journey, rather than distracting from it.
As one would expect, her gender is an area of conflict on multiple occasions, but is not overdone or used as a blunt instrument.
The books are PG-13, with occasional detailed violence, some allusions to sexual activity, and some language, though most of that uses 19th century terms. If you are proficient in German or French, the language does get more explicit. Overall, though, the reader is protected by a veneer of class that keeps the story from being overly gritty and is in keeping with a series that, at its core, starts with the journey of a 15 year old girl.
Overall, I highly recommend the series. At its core, it is a YA/NA series with a strong female lead, strong character growth and a plot that includes not only adventure, but intrigue and romance as well.
I read books 1-6 in quick succession so this is a combined review of them all.
The author creates a believable universe in which FTL travel occurs in a manner that, through necessity, replicates the feel of the age of sail of the early 19th century. While this might seem contrived at first glance, this reality is so interwoven into the characters and the universe that you quickly just accept it as (fictional) fact and enjoy the story. The technology levels of developed worlds hits all of the expected high notes; it is really just the FTL travel that morphs into a different era.
The tale of Alexis Carew mirrors that of Horatio Hornblower to a great extent. Born into a star-spanning nation modeled politically and culturally on the British Empire of the early 19th century, Alexis joins the Navy as a midshipman and faces a series of trials and adventures that certainly pay homage to, and remind the reader of Hornblower's travails. Carew's tale includes more of her home life than Hornblowers, which adds to and deepens her journey, rather than distracting from it.
As one would expect, her gender is an area of conflict on multiple occasions, but is not overdone or used as a blunt instrument.
The books are PG-13, with occasional detailed violence, some allusions to sexual activity, and some language, though most of that uses 19th century terms. If you are proficient in German or French, the language does get more explicit. Overall, though, the reader is protected by a veneer of class that keeps the story from being overly gritty and is in keeping with a series that, at its core, starts with the journey of a 15 year old girl.
Overall, I highly recommend the series. At its core, it is a YA/NA series with a strong female lead, strong character growth and a plot that includes not only adventure, but intrigue and romance as well.
April 29, 2025
Enjoyable, but…
Book #2, while still enjoyable, lost its science fiction charm for me. The epilogue for book 3 hints at a similar pattern.
To recap, Book #1 was a refreshing read. It blends historical naval fiction from the 1800s with a futuristic universe set on a frontier planet just three generations after the first landing. From both a technical and social perspective it draws heavily from David Drake’s RCN series but substituting for a female protagonist. While not as well-executed as Drake’s series, it was still a compelling read.
Book #2 follows a similar pattern, but fell short. Sutherland essentially duplicated a plot straight out of Horatio Hornblower, and this was where the book lost its appeal. The plot and direction of Hornblower’s story can effectively only exist in a pre-electronic world, relying heavily on outdated social dynamics and technology limitations that no longer exist even today, nevermind Mutineer’s space-based setting of the sufficiently far future. Sutherland didn’t even attempt to thinly veil his social dynamics or political factions like Robert E. Howard or David Drake did, instead merely copying them whole cloth from history. I could even suspend disbelief and take it as-is, if not for the deus ex machina at the end that effectively “remembers” the very technology that should have made the entire plot and even the social dynamic that creates said plot a non-starter from the beginning. I’d say I’d have enjoyed the story more as a period piece, but even that would fall short considering its duplicated origin.
None of this is to say I won’t continue to read the series, and hopefully it will improve… but I cannot recommend this particular book 2 as anything more than an average read.
Book #2, while still enjoyable, lost its science fiction charm for me. The epilogue for book 3 hints at a similar pattern.
To recap, Book #1 was a refreshing read. It blends historical naval fiction from the 1800s with a futuristic universe set on a frontier planet just three generations after the first landing. From both a technical and social perspective it draws heavily from David Drake’s RCN series but substituting for a female protagonist. While not as well-executed as Drake’s series, it was still a compelling read.
Book #2 follows a similar pattern, but fell short. Sutherland essentially duplicated a plot straight out of Horatio Hornblower, and this was where the book lost its appeal. The plot and direction of Hornblower’s story can effectively only exist in a pre-electronic world, relying heavily on outdated social dynamics and technology limitations that no longer exist even today, nevermind Mutineer’s space-based setting of the sufficiently far future. Sutherland didn’t even attempt to thinly veil his social dynamics or political factions like Robert E. Howard or David Drake did, instead merely copying them whole cloth from history. I could even suspend disbelief and take it as-is, if not for the deus ex machina at the end that effectively “remembers” the very technology that should have made the entire plot and even the social dynamic that creates said plot a non-starter from the beginning. I’d say I’d have enjoyed the story more as a period piece, but even that would fall short considering its duplicated origin.
None of this is to say I won’t continue to read the series, and hopefully it will improve… but I cannot recommend this particular book 2 as anything more than an average read.
October 1, 2020
This was well-written and thoroughly engaging, but not enjoyable. The cruelty and bullying all throughout the book took the fun out of it. I spent most of the book alternately with my blood pressure up or just waiting tensely for the next piece of shittery to happen.
The villains also seemed to be rather one-dimensional, particularly the main one.
Random thought: there seems to have been quite a bit of inspiration drawn from Hornblower in this particular book.
Namely:
The stuff near the end bothered me because it didn't even make sense.
The villains also seemed to be rather one-dimensional, particularly the main one.
Random thought: there seems to have been quite a bit of inspiration drawn from Hornblower in this particular book.
Namely:
The stuff near the end bothered me because it didn't even make sense.
September 17, 2017
Quarterdeck Breed
I've read the first two "Alexis Carew" novels by J.A. Sutherland.
[and there may be a literary joke in that pen name - more to follow]
They're good.
They're *simple* - the way I like simple. There is absolutely no doubt, who the Good Guys are, and who the Bad Guys are.
They're "Horatio Hornblower"-school science fiction. In the vein of C.S. Forester; David Feintuch's Nicholas Ewing Seafort: David Weber's Honor Harrington; Christopher Nuttall's Ark Royal books.
It's the familiar "Royal Navy in Space" trope - with a neat twist on FTL travel, and starship gunnery. Seriously. The ships are masted sailing starships, catching the "wind" of "darkspace" on glowing azure sails; the ships are fought as wet-navy ships, only in 3D.
But it's all about the Hero.
Average space opera. Very much like Mr Midshipman Hornblower. A protagonist you'd do anything for, were she the officer set over you, because she'll Always Do the Right Thing, and Always Fight for You.
[Horatio Hornblower's first "Ship of the Line" command, was the HMS Sutherland]
I've read the first two "Alexis Carew" novels by J.A. Sutherland.
[and there may be a literary joke in that pen name - more to follow]
They're good.
They're *simple* - the way I like simple. There is absolutely no doubt, who the Good Guys are, and who the Bad Guys are.
They're "Horatio Hornblower"-school science fiction. In the vein of C.S. Forester; David Feintuch's Nicholas Ewing Seafort: David Weber's Honor Harrington; Christopher Nuttall's Ark Royal books.
It's the familiar "Royal Navy in Space" trope - with a neat twist on FTL travel, and starship gunnery. Seriously. The ships are masted sailing starships, catching the "wind" of "darkspace" on glowing azure sails; the ships are fought as wet-navy ships, only in 3D.
But it's all about the Hero.
Average space opera. Very much like Mr Midshipman Hornblower. A protagonist you'd do anything for, were she the officer set over you, because she'll Always Do the Right Thing, and Always Fight for You.
[Horatio Hornblower's first "Ship of the Line" command, was the HMS Sutherland]
November 16, 2020
Halfway between 9/10: Fantastic, left me wanting more & a 10/10: There is no comparison...This is the Mona Lisa of the fictional world!
“There are captains of ships, mademoiselle,” he said, nodding, “but also captains of men.”
Oh, my word! This one was brilliant. The stakes were much higher, the danger far greater, and the unfairness ramped up to the limit. This second book in the Alexis Carew series really made me feel, and we all know it's a good book if it makes you feel!
“There are many duties, Mister Lain. The path between them is not always clear, it seems.”
Things heat up for Alexis, and then they just keep getting hotter (worse) and hotter (worser!) for her as the story progresses. At times, I wanted to throw the book across the room, I thought it was so unfair. And at others, I couldn't stop turning the pages fast enough and rooting for our Alexis.
Wonderful reading. Great sci-fi adventure!
“There are captains of ships, mademoiselle,” he said, nodding, “but also captains of men.”
Oh, my word! This one was brilliant. The stakes were much higher, the danger far greater, and the unfairness ramped up to the limit. This second book in the Alexis Carew series really made me feel, and we all know it's a good book if it makes you feel!
“There are many duties, Mister Lain. The path between them is not always clear, it seems.”
Things heat up for Alexis, and then they just keep getting hotter (worse) and hotter (worser!) for her as the story progresses. At times, I wanted to throw the book across the room, I thought it was so unfair. And at others, I couldn't stop turning the pages fast enough and rooting for our Alexis.
Wonderful reading. Great sci-fi adventure!
December 1, 2018
Alexis Carew's first Captain, Captain Grantham of the H.M.S. MERLIN, was an officer and a gentleman who provided her an opportunity to better herself and saw her as an asset to the Queen's Navy. (see Into the Dark the first book in the series). Midshipman Carew was, in essence, stolen from him by a sadistic, misogynistic senior officer, Captain Neals of the H.M.S. HERMIONE. Alexis Carew is somewhat like Bujold's Miles Vorkosigan and David Feintuch's Nick Seafort but for some reason I find her more intriguing. At the end of this book there is a short description of actual historical events similar to what occurs in this work, like Bernard Cornwall's allusions to historical events. I started reading it on my cell phone, then kindle, because I just had extreme difficulty putting down this fascinating story.
August 20, 2024
The continuing misogyny is tiresome
While "Age of Sail in Space" is an interesting idea, I feel like holding too firmly to the practices, standards, and flaws of the 18th century in a story set several centuries in the future simply doesn't work without a good bit of set-up. Unfortunately this series doesn't have that, and in fact goes out of it's way to assure us that everything we've seen up to this point is some weird fringe outlier that doesn't happen in the "core worlds", which only makes things more confusing and awful instead of less.
While each individual story is short and fast paced enough to waste an afternoon on, I'm not sure I really enjoy them enough to be fully invested in spending £4 a go on them.
While "Age of Sail in Space" is an interesting idea, I feel like holding too firmly to the practices, standards, and flaws of the 18th century in a story set several centuries in the future simply doesn't work without a good bit of set-up. Unfortunately this series doesn't have that, and in fact goes out of it's way to assure us that everything we've seen up to this point is some weird fringe outlier that doesn't happen in the "core worlds", which only makes things more confusing and awful instead of less.
While each individual story is short and fast paced enough to waste an afternoon on, I'm not sure I really enjoy them enough to be fully invested in spending £4 a go on them.
July 29, 2017
Boy, this book was a roller coaster ride.
It is important for you to realize that I read before sleep each night, so the book I am reading at that time needs to not infuriate me to the point of not being able to sleep!
The first few chapters of this book had me so disgusted and angry that sleep did not come easily. I put the book away and said I was done with it.
My husband, who has read the entire series, encouraged me to finish it because it was so good.
So I picked it back up and I am so glad I did!!
I enjoyed book 1, and book 2 doesn't disappoint. The characters are further developed and the story stayed true to itself throughout. Push through the beginning that is so difficult to read emotionally and you will be greatly rewarded.
Looking forward to book 3!
It is important for you to realize that I read before sleep each night, so the book I am reading at that time needs to not infuriate me to the point of not being able to sleep!
The first few chapters of this book had me so disgusted and angry that sleep did not come easily. I put the book away and said I was done with it.
My husband, who has read the entire series, encouraged me to finish it because it was so good.
So I picked it back up and I am so glad I did!!
I enjoyed book 1, and book 2 doesn't disappoint. The characters are further developed and the story stayed true to itself throughout. Push through the beginning that is so difficult to read emotionally and you will be greatly rewarded.
Looking forward to book 3!
December 8, 2018
Yeah...didn’t want to like it but I REALLY did.
Well I have to say that I have become a fan. I mostly read science fiction and generally prefer harder science rather than looser/creative science, but the oddities of dark space seem to work well enough and it only takes a little bit to suspend disbelief.
Outside of that the character development is amazing and I have become a big fan of the series. Lots of authors don’t spend time enough forming the foundations of relationships and taking into account the various psychological and sociological implications of their characters’ actions. But in this case it has indeed been well thought out and is thoroughly enjoyable to read.
I’ll be buying the next one for sure I will see how it goes from there.
Well I have to say that I have become a fan. I mostly read science fiction and generally prefer harder science rather than looser/creative science, but the oddities of dark space seem to work well enough and it only takes a little bit to suspend disbelief.
Outside of that the character development is amazing and I have become a big fan of the series. Lots of authors don’t spend time enough forming the foundations of relationships and taking into account the various psychological and sociological implications of their characters’ actions. But in this case it has indeed been well thought out and is thoroughly enjoyable to read.
I’ll be buying the next one for sure I will see how it goes from there.
June 21, 2017
I really enjoyed this book, which is said to be based on real life events many years ago in the British Navy (similar to Captain Bligh, but worse). Alexis is a Midshipman on a New London Navy ship in space. She has the misfortune to be on a ship with a sadistic captain who would like nothing better than to force her to resign. His idea of fun is thinking up reasons to have the sailors beaten. The crew takes this about as well as you would expect - go back and look at the book title. I'm not going to say what happens; read the book yourself to find out. I stayed up late reading this page-turner.
August 30, 2017
A brutal captain, ineffectual officers and spiteful midshipmen are what Alexis Carew faces as she transfers from HMS Merlin to HMS Hermione. No punches are pulled in showing the mistreatment of the sailors by Captain Neals, floggings for minor offences are his favourite sport along with constant bullying of Alexis as he tries to force her to resign from the Royal Navy.
This is a another page turner in the adventures of Alexis Carew, well written, believable characters and fast-paced action as war breaks out with Hanover. It's fairly obvious from the title where the story will take the reader, but the twists and turns to get there are unexpected and nail-biting. A very good read.
This is a another page turner in the adventures of Alexis Carew, well written, believable characters and fast-paced action as war breaks out with Hanover. It's fairly obvious from the title where the story will take the reader, but the twists and turns to get there are unexpected and nail-biting. A very good read.
February 2, 2019
I really liked this story, and really wanted to throttle, maybe kill Captain Nealls
I was so frustrated, irritated, etc., With the Captain and his officers that i found myself talking to myself about how abusive the captain was. Then to find out there was a real HMS Hermione and similar situations makes me wonder and thankful, have we really advanced that far, that I was appalled by the actions of Nealls, the active connivance of his officers, st .
Damn good read in the tradition of Hornblower, Kris Longknife, Honor Harrington, etc.
Can only hope 3 continues this fine bit of yarn blowin.
I was so frustrated, irritated, etc., With the Captain and his officers that i found myself talking to myself about how abusive the captain was. Then to find out there was a real HMS Hermione and similar situations makes me wonder and thankful, have we really advanced that far, that I was appalled by the actions of Nealls, the active connivance of his officers, st .
Damn good read in the tradition of Hornblower, Kris Longknife, Honor Harrington, etc.
Can only hope 3 continues this fine bit of yarn blowin.
August 9, 2019
Wow! Some historical fiction in my science fiction! Alexis Carew's second ship and captain were inspired by an actual ship of the same name that had similar events. Really cool!
It was also very interesting to see how much difference the ship captain made regarding life aboard that ship. Needless to say, Alexis was SO lucky in her first ship captain!
Again, what a terrific, exciting read! Need I even mention that I stayed up too late to finish this book because I found I just could not put it down?
Can't wait to start book three in this great space opera sf series!
Highly recommended for fans who enjoy character-driven plots and imaginative worldbuilding!
It was also very interesting to see how much difference the ship captain made regarding life aboard that ship. Needless to say, Alexis was SO lucky in her first ship captain!
Again, what a terrific, exciting read! Need I even mention that I stayed up too late to finish this book because I found I just could not put it down?
Can't wait to start book three in this great space opera sf series!
Highly recommended for fans who enjoy character-driven plots and imaginative worldbuilding!
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